The Modern Web.

[Brett]

The internet is starting to look more and more like the pre-internet media of corporate-approved design and glossy photography that functions only to part you from your time and money while turning a deaf ear to the users.

http://dashes.com/anil/2012/12/the-web-we-lost.html

The tech industry and its press have treated the rise of billion-scale social networks and ubiquitous smartphone apps as an unadulterated win for regular people, a triumph of usability and empowerment. They seldom talk about what we've lost along the way in this transition, and I find that younger folks may not even know how the web used to be.

Intriguing thought and not surprised as you hear more and more people say that social media is a necessity yet find it highly boring.

Especially if you are an organisation promoting products or services.

[threegee]

I was amused to see Facebook described as a "rapidly fading media now only used by old people".  Obviously I'm way beyond "old" here as I rarely, if ever, bothered with it.

 

I think the principal is that once commercialism cottons on to the possibilities the proposition rapidly fades.  Anyone who invests in fashion industries like FB or Twitter (or Apple!) needs to time their exit better than I ever could hope to.  The very forces which catapult them to mass usage rapidly kill them off.  Hence not only am I Out, I wouldn't even dream of being In.  Friends Reunited, MySpace, anyone? 

[mercuryg]

Interesting points; commercially, social networking is a must for businesses. It's the modern equivalent of Word of Mouth and, when utilised correctly, is extremely powerful. (btw website, 'utilised' is spelt with an 's' in these shores!) I use Facebook as a method of communicating with friends and  family far and wide, but businesses use it as a way of attracting custom. Of course, the main player in online business is the Search Engine; without searchable content websites remain three pages behind the rest. Given that 95% of online transactions begin with a search engine (and 95% of those with Google) it's easy to see how. Furthermore, Google loves Facebook links.

 

I think there is an element of nostalgia, in the rose-tinted fashion. in the way the Internet is viewed by some. Of course, we have lost a lot of what was great in the 'good old days' thanks to the ubiquity of personal handheld and other communication devices, but we have also gained considerably. Where would this site be without the web?

[Malcolm Robinson]

Problem is Merc the dross has increased exponentially! ................

Social media is flavour of the month at present, I am trying to fund IT development training for SME's and social media has to be an element. ..............

Just look at how many 'businesses' there are trying to get you to sign up with them to increase your 'Likes' etc.

[threegee]

...(btw website, 'utilised' is spelt with an 's' in these shores!)...

 

Just sometimes original (old) English spellings are preferred, as opposed to pretentious (and Germanic influenced) Victoriana.   Our internal review on this matter will be completed in the Fall.

[mercuryg]

Problem is Merc the dross has increased exponentially! ................ Social media is flavour of the month at present, I am trying to fund IT development training for SME's and social media has to be an element. .............. Just look at how many 'businesses' there are trying to get you to sign up with them to increase your 'Likes' etc.

 

Of course, the dross element was something I was trying to communicate. Social media may be flavour of the month, but I think it important to understand it is here to stay. The frequency with which Google refines its search algorithms is alarming (and annoying to those of us who try to make a living by advising upon and providing SEO); wheres, just a few years back, it would have been sufficient to make sure your content contained keywords at between 1 to 4%, correctly positioned within x number of characters from the beginning and end of the paragraph, and so on, now there is a much greater element of quality required; Google likes to see 'relevant, original, and informative content' rather than that stuffed with keywords. The dross will sink; the quality stuff rise. I believe this is Google's aim (apart from full-on world domination, that is....'

This post has been edited by Google Inc